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what we need more of is science
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Crazy
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what we need more of is science
Crazy people
What's new in "The Bobosphere"—the magical land where Ad Age's untethered old columnist-for-life Bob Garfield says things that make sense to Bob Garfield, exclusively? Well today, he's insinuating that the recently pulled Snickers commercial showing Mr. T shooting a speed walker with Snickers bars was probably the inspiration for the man who shot up a church in Tennessee yesterday because he hated liberals. Oh, Bob. We don't even know what to say. [Ad Age]
Oh, Bob
What's new in "The Bobosphere"—the magical land where Ad Age's untethered old columnist-for-life Bob Garfield says things that make sense to Bob Garfield, exclusively? Well today, he's insinuating that the recently pulled Snickers commercial showing Mr. T shooting a speed walker with Snickers bars was probably the inspiration for the man who shot up a church in Tennessee yesterday because he hated liberals. Oh, Bob. We don't even know what to say. [Ad Age]
trendwatch
Things Combine To Form New, More Ridiculous Thing
Newest lifestyle trend: salons that are combined with fitness centers (how has the Observer missed this one?). The salon, JF Gymnastique in Manhattan, is run by a Frederic Fekkai alumnus; the little fitness center—only three people at a time, please— also has "a team of chiropractors, acupuncturists, soft-tissue specialists, massage therapists, and nutritional counselors offer a range of à la carte services to complement clients' workout routines." As well as "a private locker room, replete with Frette towels and bath and body products from Phyto and Roger & Gallet." Upcoming lifestyle trend: the least hardcore gyms ever. [NYS]
Criminals
Peter Braunstein Won't Make The Mediabistro Christmas Party
Peter Braunstein, the former WWD writer who went psycho and turned into a rapist on the run a couple years back, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison in Ohio. That's after he finishes his 18-to-life bid in NY. He called himself a "Hamlet character," complained about the "absurdist quality" of the trial, and promised to orchestrate his own murder in jail, preferably before Christmas. So, still crazy. [NYDN]
advertising
Gary Busey Would Like To Bounce A Few Ideas Off You
Here's what you've been waiting for, if you're an eccentric millionaire looking to invest a fortune in off-the-wall, possibly crack-inspired schemes: 40 business ideas from actor Gary Busey! These come in the form of 40 different ads for some obscure business phone company (whatever). The point is, Gary Busey really appears to just be riffing all of these off the top of his head so he can leave and get a drink. Bear hair dye? Oh Gary, you are an incorrigible national treasure! Two clips of his wacky wisdom, below: More »
Politics
Dave Chappelle Fundraiser Turns Out Even Worse Than You Could Imagine
Bad news for Real World cast member-turned Congressional candidate (D-Pop Culture) Kevin Powell: Dave Chappelle totally spaced out on Powell's fundraiser in Brooklyn last night, costing him the crucial Chappelle-fan vote! The comedian was supposed to headline the fundraising show, but never appeared, possibly because he is crazy. Then Chris Rock refused to go on too, in solidarity! And it only got worse for Powell: a drunk journalist, for chrissake, tried to grab the mic and steal the show [UPDATE: And there's a video!]: More »
national geographic
"I swear my golden retriever Chaucer said 'hi' to me one morning."
I recently started subscribing to National Geographic, and its coverage of Stonehenge and jungles is incomparable. But I'm convinced that the sly geography wonks on its editorial staff get their kicks each month by selecting the most insane letters to the editor, and putting them into the magazine. The new issue has letters about a March story on animal intelligence. They must have gotten thousands! So who's represented? Inexplicable dog haters, lamb-whisperers, and schizophrenics: More »
dan klores
Way Smart Ex-PR Guru To Make Crazy Movie Version Of Crazy Documentary
Dan Klores is the smartest man in PR. That's because he's not in PR any more. He founded his eponymous agency, which made (and still makes) him a ton of money, and then decided, "You know what? Fuck this shit. I'm gonna make movies." Now he spends all his time making (actually good!) documentaries and hosting soirees for various power brokers, without ever having to deal with the actual PR industry much. And he's about to move further up the entertainment industry food chain, because HBO has signed him to direct a movie version of his Believe-it-or-not psycho documentary Crazy Love. This, I will watch. More »
uniqlo
The Future Of Advertising: 'Brand Presence,' Robot Dancing
Let's say up front that the super-prestigious Cannes advertising awards are, like most awards, a bit of a scam. They're a for-profit operation that charges ad agencies a lot of money to enter, and in return bestows something that the agencies can use in their own marketing materials. Plus they gave an award to those crazy sexist beer ads this year, so their judgment is obviously fallible. Still, the ad industry considers them a big deal, and they're a good guide to what's considered important in the field. So it was extremely groundbreaking when an online campaign (rather than a TV campaign) won the Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes this year. On the other hand, maybe it was just because people love Japanese dancers? More »
music
Get "Crazy" With The Violent Femmes
From Salon: "The Violent Femmes and Gnarls Barkley are a mutual appreciation society formed in oddball heaven. Two years ago, Barkley did a cover of the Femmes classic 'Gone Daddy Gone' that took the song's already hypnotically manic energy and bent it into something new and just as lovably weird. Now, the favor has been returned. Visitors to the MySpace page for an ensemble billing itself Violent and Crazy can currently sample a taste of the Femmes' reimagining of Barkley's athemic smash 'Crazy' before the single releases later this month." Listen here.
radio
Wendy Williams Still Making Everybody Mad
You can look at Wendy Williams, the loud queen of hip hop talk radio, in two ways: she is popular, in the sense that her show is still one of the biggest things on the radio dial; but she's also not popular, in the sense that her crazy husband runs around her studio hiring hitmen, sexually harassing the female employees, and generally acting like a gangster, according to a new lawsuit from a traumatized publicist. Williams denies it all, including the claim that her husband slammed her up against the wall because she failed to stop smoking. But one thing she can't deny: she is mean. In 2006 she told everybody on air about how Wu-Tang rapper Method Man's wife had cancer—which was private. Method Man responded with one of the most sincere anti-gossip rants in recent history: More »
race
Hip Hop: All Bad
Are you one of the apologist types who argues that not all hip hop music is ignorant, antisocial filth? Please excuse New York Sun columnist and bizarre racial thinker John McWhorter as he shakes his head in exasperation at your foolish "fallacy." Did you know that the urban black demographic has problems with crime and education? Let's hear you defend your precious "conscious" rap now! How does the irredeemable evil of all rap music ever recorded logically follow from the existence of social problems? John McWhorter will tell you how: with some terrifying lyrics from The Roots, proving that hip hop will be our generation's downfall: More »
advice
Girl: 'Should I Move Home?' Cary Tennis: 'I am a child of Florida's warm, wet indolence'
Salon's clinically insane advice columnist Cary Tennis today gets the chance to respond to the most stereotypical post-college question imaginable. A 24-year-old girl moved to LA to get into the film industry, found out it was shady, and got bummed out. Now she can't decide whether to move home to Florida and save up some money, or go backpacking across Thailand on a spiritual journey. We've all been there! Ann Landers gets 46 letters identical to this every week. So how does our friend Cary handle this easy setup? With his trademark brand of scary, dissociated ramblings indicative of an advanced case of schizophrenia or excessive mescaline use: More »
media
LA Times Sunday Magazine May No Longer Contain Journalism
Whoa. We all know the Tribune Company and its biggest paper, the LA Times, are in trouble. But this seems drastic even for them: the paper is considering a plan to fire the entire editorial staff of its Sunday magazine, and turn the whole operation over to the business side of the paper. It would no longer even be an editorial product. (Just try to imagine what would happen if the NYT Magazine did this). The newsroom is pissed, with LAT editor Russ Stanton reportedly asking the publisher to change the magazine's name if the plan goes through, so it doesn't tarnish the newsroom's credibility. Gee, we remember another LAT Sunday magazine scandal in 1999, back when these types of things actually provoked outrage rather than resignation: More »
anonymous
London Police Protect Scientology From Teen's Sign
The Brits are rather less enthusiastic about the whole "free speech" concept than the US is. A 15-year-old kid was holding a sign that said "Cult" at one of the Anonymous protests against Scientology in London. The precocious young scalawag had even memorized a 1984 UK court ruling in which a judge called the science fiction-based religion a "cult." But the police gave him a summons and confiscated his dangerous slogan-bearing poster, and now he has to go to court to defend himself. More »
Idol
David Archuleta's father Jeff, often accused of being a crazed stage dad, has been asked not to participate in song choosing and other backstage activities. EW.com interviewed Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe today, and he stated that the show runners just "want David to be able to be free like everybody else to get on and do what they want to do." Fair enough. Also he probably added, off the record of course, that Jeff threatened to lock poor Archie in the crawl space back home in Utah if he didn't sing at least seven runs in the course of each performance. That poor little gremlin. (Also, will Syesha put up a good enough fight tonight, or are will still marching inexorably toward a David vs. David finale?)
sightings
